J-K CM Mehbooba Mufti likely to meet PM Narendra Modi today

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to discuss the unrest in the Valley. Mehbooba, who arrived in the capital on Saturday to attend the Niti Aayog governing council meet, is also likely to meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other central ministers to review the current situation.

The meetings are key to shaping “the future of the state government, especially because of the gulf between the PDP and partner BJP,” sources told The Indian Express. Mehbooba’s Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP are in alliance in J&K.

During the meeting with chief ministers from across the country on Sunday, Mehbooba appealed to her counterparts to reach out to Kashmiri students in their respective states. Sources quoted her as saying that youth from Jammu and Kashmir are migrating in search of better education prospects. Her plea was backed by PM Modi, who said states should take an interest in the students from her state.

Her meeting with PM Modi comes in the wake of recent incidents of violence, including clashes between security forces and civilians during the recently-concluded Srinagar by-elections. Eight people were killed in the violence. The PDP lost its seat to former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference. The violence resulted in a record-low 7.14 per cent voter turnout.

Separately, Kashmiri students took to the streets last week after 50 students of Pulwama government college were injured due to action by security personnel. During their rally, the security forces fired pellets, tear smoke shells and pepper grenades at the protesters.

The video of a civilian allegedly used as a human shield by security forces also led to public outrage, earlier this month. There have been over 400 incidents of stone-pelting reported in the Valley since October 2016, reported news agency ANI(THE INDIAN EXPRESS,2017).